Walking and wading boot



Feb. 25, 1958 F. vs. wALKER WALKING AND WADING BOOT Filed April 13, 1954 INVENTO R. FRANK S. WALKER Y MmfiW ATTORNEYS United States Patent WALKING AND WADING BOOT Frank S. Walker, ldramingham, Mass. Application April 13, 1954, Serial No. 422,961 3 Claims. (Cl. 36-15) The present invention has to do with a walking and wading boot intended for use by lumbermen, hunters, fishermen and farmers who sometimes need protection high up on the leg when it is necessary to walk in water, as, for instance, when wading a stream.

The present invention provides a boot or shoe which when required can be converted quickly into a completely water tight wader which gives complete protection well above the thighs, and which is worn as an ordinary hunting boot under most conditions.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing the boot embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section illustrating the arrangement of the parts of the boot shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view showing a modification of the boot using snap fasteners.

The essential parts of this boot comprise the waterproof shoe 20, to the upper edge 41a of which is attached, as by gluing, an extensible knee and thigh portion 42, which is normally turned down to form a structure having an upper folded edge 45 and an inner part 43 and anouter part 44. The end or extensible edge 48 of the outer part 44 is folded upwardly at 49 and attached, as by gluing or stitching, to the lower portion 50 of the top 27. Attached, as by gluing, outside of and around the junction of the shoe edge 41a and the extensible portion 42 is a lacing strip 23 having facing loops 26.

The lower part of the top 27 is removably attached to the shoe 2th by lacing 29 passing through holes 30 in top 27 and through the lacing loops 26. A pair of straps 60 having snap fasteners 61 may be used to help support the structure of the folded extensible portion 42 by attaching the upper folded edge 45 to the upper edge of the top 27.

The article is worn as an ordinary hunting boot extending about half-way to the knee in the condition shown, but when it is desired to extend it for use as a wader, the lacing 29 is withdrawn to release the top 27 from the shoe 20, the boot top 27 is loosened by unlacing the laces 32, the snaps 61 are unfastened, and then the entire top 27 may be drawn straight up the leg of the wearer and secured to the leg in elevated position, thus straightening out the extensible portion 42 and causing it to come high up on the wearers leg. Since the top must be released to er" 1C6 be drawn upwardly, snap fasteners 10 (Fig. 3) or other temporary attaching means may be substituted for the lacing 29 for readily detaching and re-attaching the top. The boot may be held up as a wader by tightening the lacing 32 of the top around the wearers thigh.

The article may be made in varying heights, and also in the form of an overshoe. Snaps, hooks or other suitable fastenings may be substituted for lacing to fasten the top around the leg of the wearer.

it will thus be seen that my invention, providing a boot having characteristics of a conventional hunting boot with a strong, tough, outer protecting top in combination with inner extensible means for quickly converting it into a wader, may be varied in details of structure without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A combined wader and walking boot comprising a waterproof shoe, an outer waterproof top, an upwardly extensible waterproof leg covering portion, releasable means securing said outer top around its lower edge to the outside of the shoe, the outer top being waterproofedly joined to the extensible portion, and the extensible portion being Water proofedly joined to the shoe to form a continuous waterproof tube from the shoe to the upper edge of the said outer top, said releasable top securing means when released permitting the top and extensible portion to be extended up the wearers leg, and said top and extensible portion being retractable to place the extensible portion inside the top when the top is secured to the shoe by said releasable top securing means.

2. A combined wader and walking boot comprising a water-proof shoe, an outer top, an upwardly extensible water-proof leg-covering portion, releasable means securing said outer top around its lower edge to the outside part of the shoe, a water-proof joint securing one edge of said extensible portion to the upper edge of the shoe inside said top, a water-proof joint securing the other edge of said extensible portion to the lower edge of said top, said extensible portion being foldably retractable to fit inside said top, said releasable top-securing means when released permitting the top to the extended up the wearers leg along with said other edge of the extensible portion.

3. In the combination as set forth in claim 2, said outer top having an expansible opening down its front, and releasable means at said opening for snugly securing said top around the wearers leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 800,761 Parkman Oct. 3, 1905 1,975,597 Berry Oct. 2, 1934 2,287,877 Hard June 30, 1942 2,473,099 Hatch June 14, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 445,004 Germany June 1, 1927 148,733 Switzerland Oct. 16, 1931, 

